Guest

I currently have a multi console set up. All my consoles run through an advanced scart selector and then via scart into my TV.

I want a similar set up on my Infocus SP4805 but understand that there is no scart connector on the back. Is rthere anything I can do to avoid having to switch over the leads to my various consoles the whole time?

Active Member

DLP seems to give better contrast and colour at the same price point, but at the cost of a lower resolution. To movie watchers, which appears to be the majority of PJ users on this forum, this isn't a major problem. Movies don't suffer as much as games do when fed through a lower resolution - but gamers have been tinkering with their PC game resolutions for years. From a game point of view, resolution probably comes first, along with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering.

So I've decided to go with the Sanyo Z3 LCD, for the following reasons;

- £998 inc. from Ivojo.co.uk or Shootandshow.co.uk
- 1280 x 720p native resolution - which all X360 games will work at.
- 2 x Component inputs (component has already become the prefered high end console connection).
- I've been using an old (& at the wrong viewing distance) Hitachi C225 4:3 PJ with an 800 x 600 res, so I know LCD's pros and cons, and the Sanyo should be a massive improvement over the Hitachi. I've not used DLP before.
- A throw distance that works for me.
- 3 year warranty! And a 90 warranty on the lamp.

If you purchased the SP 4805, then you will miss out on the HD resolutions that the next gen consoles will use, and from a £1000 gaming purchase, this is not what you want!

The Panasonic AE700U is available at about £1000 (at the link below), but it only has a 1 year warranty, which just isn't long enough for me. Its got an RGB Scart input, which would have been a fantastic feature, but scart is on it's way out - I doubt I'll ever connect a next gen console using scart.

So for a £1000 gaming PJ, I'd say go for an LCD model, you'll get more resolution for your bucks. The Z3 won it on specs for me, and I'd say the same for you, so i'll let you know how it handles an Xbox in hi-def when it arrives on Friday. If you want to spend less, check the Z2, which you can get for around £550.

If you can stretch to £1500, wait a month for the BenQ PE7700 a DLP PJ with a 1280 x 720p resolution, the best of both worlds!

Finally - make sure you've checked out the throw distance using this handy tool;

Active Member

I decided that if I was going to spend £550 to £600 on a second hand model, then I may as well (be a nobba and break my budget!) spend £998 on a new PJ that will come with a 3 year waranty, and I'll still be able to sell it on at a decent price later this year if I want to.

Besides the warranty and piece of mind, a few other factors made me choose the Z3;

- Based on purely on specs the, Z3 is the quietest PJ I've found, and I HATE noisy fans! This is a major selling point for me.
- Dust blobs can be removed easily on the Z3.
- 2 x component inputs on Z3.
- Picture quality and contrast are improved on the Z3.
- The Z3 has HDMI, the Z2 has DVI, so both can use digital connections, but the PS3 will use HDMI, so the Z3 will make things slightly easier.

So you'll still get the resolution at half the price, but connectivity, acoustic noise and PQ are not as great.

Active Member

In terms of current generation of consoles all mine are japanese models (Smokey Xbox/ Panasonic Q and Ocean Blue PS2) so the HD would be a big benefit even now...

Out of interest- in terms of the Z2- and I'm thinking solely in terms of gaming now- what are the big drawbacks next to a Z3. that's quite a substantial price difference...

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My mate has a Z2 and I have a Z3, the main difference is contrast and that the Z3 has two component inputs instead of one, also I noticed a lot more vertical banding on the Z2.
I use mine mainly for films but I do use my ps2 on it via component and i've never seen it look better. GT4 looks amazing as does tekken 4 in progressive scan.
My mate uses an xbox on the Z2 a lot and that looks amazing by all accounts.(I've have not seen the xbox running only dvd's but my mates have seen it and think it's awesome.)
I bought the Z3 after seeing the Z2 in action and I feel the Z3 is an improvement over the Z2.